Dial and spindle assembly



Sept. 6,1960

Filed Deb. 27, 1957 H. c, MILLER DIAL AND 'SPINDLE ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOP lfa/nydl/lll/lllr ATTORNEYS Sept. 6, 1960 H. c. MILLER DIAL AND SPINDLE ASSEMBLY F iled Dec. 27, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Hal-yam???" Mam ATTORNEYS,

United StatesPatentO ce v DIAL AND SPINDLE ASSEMBLY Harry C. Miller, Rochester, N.Y., assignor to Sargent & Greenleaf, line, Rochester, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Dec. 27, 1957, Ser. No. 705,577

2 Claims. (Cl. 70-332) The present invention relates in general to components for combination locks, and more particularly to dial and spindle assemblies for operating combination locks.

Combination locks of the multiple tumbler wheel type with which the present invention is concerned usually comprise three disk-shaped tumbler wheels having a gating or notch in the periphery of each spaced side-byside on a cylindrical tumbler post projecting inwardly of the lock housing. One of the tumblers, either the forwardmost or rearmost of the three, is driven by :a drive pin projecting toward the tumbler from a rotatable driving cam which directly engages a stop on the tumbler or a rotary fly washer which in .turn engages such a tumbler stop to provide a lost-motion driving connection. The remaining tumblers are driven by their adjacent tumbler. in the direction of the driving cam through a similar lost motion driving connection. The driving cam has .a generally cylindrical periphery interrupted by a gating shaped to receive a fence lever nose therein at one angular position of the driving cam and permit the fence carried by the fence lever to approach the tumbler wheels and enter the tumbler gatings if aligned with the fence. 'Ihereupon, rotation of the driving cam through a limited arc in a selected direction etfects withdrawal of the lock bolt to which the fence lever is pivoted, due to the seating of the fence lever nose in the driving cam gate.

The driving cam is rotated to position the tumblers and retract or project the bolt by keying it on a drive spindle projecting externally of the lock casing, to the external end of which a dial is fixed. The spindle is usually threaded over a substantial portion of its length and the driving cam has an internally threaded bore to be threaded onto the spindle. Both the spindle and driving cam are provided with a spline or keyway and are disposed to be in registry with each other when the driving cam gate is oriented in a preselected relation to the dial markings to receive a spline key :and lock the driving cam and spindle against relative rotation. This rotation of the external dial directly rotates the driving cam to effect adjustment of the tumblers and movement of the bolt. v

It has been the customary practice in the lock manu facturing industry to locate the mating splines in the spindle and driving cam so that the driving cam may be keyed to the spindle at an angular position wherein the driving cam gating is located immediately below the fence lever nose to receive the nose when the zero dial graduation, or a dial graduation located no more than ten points to the left, or right of zero is aligned with the fixed index mark for the dial readings. This practice has been adhered to largely because the dialing conventions for combination locks are such that the dial is usually rotated through three full revolutions in one direction to align the first number of the combination with the fixed index mark, then two full revolutions in the opposite direction to align the second number of the combination with the index mark, then one full 2,951,358 Patented Sept. 6, 1960 revolution in the first direction to align the third number of the combination with the index mark, and then re- .turn the dial to zero and rotate it through a preselected small arc to drop the fence lever nose into the driving cam gating and retract the bolt. It is only by keying the driving cam to the spindle at such an angular position that the driving cam gate is positioned to receive the fence lever nose at or near the zero dial position that the fourth step in the dialing convention is maintained. It therefore requires that the manufacturer locate the spline in the spindle at the proper angular position to provide the proper angular relationship between driving cam and dial markings so that the driving cam gate may receive the fence lever nose when the .dial is positioned near zero.

This would present no particular problem to manufacturers if the lock casing which houses the combination lock mechanism other than the dial were always installed at the same angular position relative to the dial. However, in actual practice combination locks are installed in a wide variety of angular positions, termed hands of installation, depending upon the particular mounting application of the lock. For example, the lock casing with the bolt projecting from one end thereof may be arranged in .a right hand horizontal installation or a left hand horizontal installation, wherein the bolt projects to the right or to the left, respectively, when viewing the lock from the rear, to accommodate the lock to right or left hand swinging doors of safes or security closures. In other applications, such as for locking sliding doors of file cabinets, desks and the like, and in some safe applications, it is desirable to arrange the lock casing so that the bolt projects vertically up or down. There are also installation situations wherein the lock casing should be oriented so that the axis of bolt movement is along angles lying between the vertical and horizontal axes, as for example, in circular safe doors and the like. Thus it will be seen that there is an infinite number of angular positions of lock installation which may be desired.

It will be observed that each of these different bands of installation requires that either the spindle spline or the driving cam spline be located at a .diiferent angular position in order .to preserve the relationship between the driving cam gate and the zero mark on the dial whereby the fence lever nose can drop into the driving cam .gate at a dial position wherein a dial graduation near the zero mark is aligned with the fixed index mark located vertically above the center axis of the dial.

In order to accommodate these different installation conditions, the commercial locksmith must carry in his stock of repair parts dial and spindle units or driving cams keyed for each of the different hands of installation. The practice heretofore has been for the locksmith to stock dial and spindle units splined for each of the four principal hands of installation, namely, right hand horizontal, left hand horizontal, vertical up and vertical down. It is obviously impractical for the locksmiths to carry dial and spindle units splined for angular positions other than these four principal positions, and stocking even these four varieties of dial and spindle units represents a substantial financial hardship to the locksmith.

Additionally, the size of the spindles used in combination locks manufactured by different lock manufacturers is not standardized. Some of the lock manufacturers use inch diameterspindles, others use 1 inch diameter spindles, and still others use inch diameter spindles. Eachlock manufacturer, of course, bores the driving cams for his locks for the particular diameter spindle manufac tured by him. 1 This factor also increases the varieties and quantity of replacement parts which a locksmith must 2,951,358 I p r stock to be adequately prepared for the variety of replacement possibilities which he may encounter.

An object of the present invention, therefore, is the provision of a novel dial and spindle construction for combination locks which may be readily conditioned by locksmiths in the field to adapt the unit for use in combination locks having a wide variety of hands of installation.

Another object of the present invention is the'provision of a novel dial and spindle assembly for combination locks wherein the angular position of the spindle spline may be readily altered by locksmiths in the field to assume a wide variety of positions relative to the zero marking on the dial and adapt the assembly for installation in any hand of lock and on any style safe.

'Another object of the present invention is the provision of a novel dial and spline spindle assembly for use in combination locks, wherein locksmiths or purchasers can readily reset the angular position of the spindle splining to align the spline with any one of the 100 numbers on the dial to afford complete versatility for meeting various requirements which occur in the field.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a novel dial and spindle assembly for combination locks, wherein persons in the field can readily disassemble the spindle from the dial and assemble the dial with spindles of different diameters so as to adapt the dial and spindle unit to use in locks of different manufacture requiring different size spindles.

Other objects, advantages and capabilities of the present invention will become apparent from the following detail description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, showing two preferred embodiments of the invention:

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section view of a dial and spindle assembly embodying the present invention, taken along the line 11 of Figure 2;

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the dial and spindle assembly;

Figure 3 is a vertical section view through the dial as a detached element;

Figure 4 is a side. elevation of the coupling member for intercoupling the spindle with the dial at various angular positions; and

Figure 5 is a vertical longitudinal section view of a dial and spindle unit embodying the present invention wherein the spindle is assembled with a dial of difierent construction from that illustrated in Figures 1-4.

The present invention in general involves the provision of a detachable coupling between the splined spindle and the dial of the dial and spindle assembly whereby the locksmith or purchaser receiving the assembly from the manufacturer can decouple the spindle from the dial and reassemble these components in a different angular relationship so as to adapt the dial and spindle assembly for use in combination locks of any band of installation. The arrangement is such as to also facilitate the association of spindles of different diameters with the dial so that the dial and spindle assembly may be adapted for use as a replacement unit in locks of different manufacture having driving cams bored to different diameters.

Referring to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures, and particularly to Figures 1-4, a dial and spindle assembly embodying the present invention is designated generally by the reference character 10. The dial and spindle assembly includes a dial 11 of more or less typical outward appearance having a disk portion 12 including a graduated forward face which is numerically calibrated, and a knurled knob portion 13 projecting outwardly from the disk portion 12 and formed integrally therewith. The forward face of the dial 11 may be provided with 100 dial graduations and with decade numerals extending from zero to 90 in accordance with conventional practice, these being indicated by dotted lines in Figure 2.. The assembly 10 also includes an elongated spindle of circular cross-section, indicated at 14, having threads 15 extending forwardly from the rear end of the spindle 14 over a major portion of the length of the spindle. The usual dial ring 16, shown in dotted lines, having an index mark 17 disposed vertically above the axis of the spindle and dial is associated with the dial 11 in'the lock installation.

The spindle 14 is designed to project rearwardly through the door or'other closure wall on which the lock is mounted and into the lock casing which houses the lock mechanism including the driving cam 19. The assembly 10 is designed to be used with any conventional lock mechanism of the plural tumbler wheel type whose construction and operation are well-known in the combination lock art. An example of such a mechanism is shown in U.S. Patent No. 821,548, issued to Streeter et al. on May 22, 1906. The driving cam in accordance with conventional practice has a gating 20 in its periphery shaped to receive the nose of a fence lever which is pivoted to a sliding bolt'normally projecting from the lock casing, and has a central bearing hub 21 provided with a threaded bore 22 complementing the threaded portion of the spindle 14 and interrupted at one point by a spline 23 extending longitudinally of the spindle 14. The threaded interconnection of the driving cam 19 and spindle 14 is to permit variation of the axial position of the driving cam on the spindle to suit the dilferent lock constructions that may be encountered in the field and to adapt the lock for installation on doors of various thicknesses. The spindle is provided with a single elongated spline 24 extending longitudinally of the spindle from a point located slightly forwardly of the forward end of the threads 15 through the rear end of the spindle. In accordance with conventional practice, the splines 23 and 24 are provided in the driving cam 19 and spindle 14 to receive a spline key, indicated at 25 when the splines are in registry and secure the driving cam against angular displacement relative to the spindle and in the correct position of the driving cam in relation to dial calibration. The spline 23 in the driving cam is usually positioned diametrically opposite the driving cam gate 20 so that the spline 23 extends downwardly from the bottom of the bore 22when the driving cam gate 20 opens upwardly at the top of the driving cam, as shown in Figure 2. With the parts arranged as shown in Figure 2, the spindle spline 24 in the spindle 14 is positioned on the radial axis of the spindle extending through the calibration mark for the numeral 50 on the dial 11 so that the. driving cam gate 20 opens upwardly when the dial calibration forthe numeral zero is aligned with the opening index mark 17. The spindle 14, therefore, when in the position illustrated in Figure 2, is properly splined for a right hand horizontal installation, as the bolt would project to the right as viewed in Figure 2 and the fence lever nose would lie above the driving cam 19 at a point which is to the right of the vertical plane through the center of the spindle 14. a

, The spindle 14 is provided with a knurled cylindrical region 26 adjacent its forward end which is adapted to be driven into a central bore 27 extending axially through a coupling bushing orferrule 28. The coupling bushing is an integral annular member having a constricted neck 29 of sufficient length to accommodate the knurled region 26 of the spindle 14 and an enlarged diameter annular body 30 having an uninterrupted series of V-cut teeth 31 extending around the periphery of the body 30 having radially outwardly pointing crests lying in parallelism with the axis of the bushing 28 and spindle 14. The rearwardly facing annular surface 32 is provided with at least one index line 33 extending radially of the bushing 28'to the crest of one of the teeth 31.

'I-he'bushin g 28 is to be removably secured to the dial 11 at any of a plurality of angular positions whereby the angular position of the spindle spline 24 in relation to the dial calibration can be adjusted to suit the requirements of various installations. To this end, the dial 11 is provided with a cylindrical bore 34 formed in the rearwardly facing surface 35 of the dial having a seat portion 36 spaced inwardly of the rear dial face 35 complementing the body 36' of the bushing 28 and having an uninterrupted series of V-cut grooves 37 along the side of the seat portion 36 complementing the teeth 31 of the bushing 28. The bore 34 has a threaded neck portion 38 of larger diameter than the seat portion 36 opening through the rear face 35 of the dial 11. The threaded neck portion 38 is designed to receive an annular retaining collar or hub 39 provided with a peripherally threaded projecting portion 40 and a central bore 41 of sufiicient diameter to accommodate the neck 29' of the coupling bushing 28. The retaining hub 39 is of appropriate thickness to bear upon the central boss of the usual dial ring 16, and is provided with a threaded bore 42 into which is threaded a cup point set screw 43 for frictionally locking the retaining hub against rotation relative to the coupling bushing 28.

The dial 11 is provided with a series of graduations and appropriate decade numerals from zero to 90 along the annular shoulder 45 interconnecting the seat portion 36 and neck portion 38 of the bore 34 and aligned with the troughs of the grooves 37, there being preferably 100 grooves.

The dial and spindle assembly will be shipped assembled in the form illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 with the splining of the spindle 14 set on the number zero by aligning the index line 33 on the coupling bush-ing 28 with the zero mark on the splining calibrations 44 formed in the annular shoulder 45 of the bore 34 interconnecting the seat portion 36 with the neck portion '38. As discussed above, this setting wherein the splining of the spindle is on the numeral zero of the calibrations 44 is appropriate for a right hand horizontal lock installation. If the locksmith or user needs a dial and spindle assembly for a different hand .of installation, the dial and spindle assembly 10* can be readily reset to adjust the splining to any desired setting relative to the 100 graduations on the dial 11. To accomplish this, the set screw 43 is turned out of contact with the bushing 28 and the retaining hub 39 rotated in a direction to unscrew it from the threaded neck portion 38 of the bore 34. The assembled spindle 14 and coupling bushing 28 which are force-fitted together at the factory may then be decoupled from the dial 11 by torcibly withdrawing the body portion 38 of the bushing 28 from the seat portion 36 of the bore 34 to free the teeth 31 of the bushing from interfitted relation with the grooves 37 of the bore. The spindle 14 and coupling bushing 28 are then rotated to align the index line 33 with the appropriate graduation of the splining graduations 44 on the annular shoulder 45 and the body portion 30 of the bushing 28 then shifted toward the dial to set it in the seat portion 36 of the bore 34. The retaining hub 39 is then threaded back into the neck portion 38 of the bore 34 and the set screw 43 turned inwardly to engage the bus-hing 28 and lock the hub 39 against relative rotation.

A similar arrangement is illustrated in Figure 5, wherein the dial and spindle assembly indicated by the reference character 10' is adapted for use with locks of the type disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 2,575,674, issued November 20, 1951, to Harry C. Miller. The combination lock disclosed in the said Miller patent differs from the conventional combination locks of the plural tumbler wheel type discussed above in that the driving cam is additionally provided with a radially reciprocable slide for bridging the driving cam gating during adjustment of the tumblers, which slide is radially shiftable to expose the driving cam gating under control of an inner spindle extending through and rotatable within the dial spindle.

Referring to Figure 5, the

bodiment.

dial 11' is a molded plastic dial having an enlarged cylindrical portion 12 corresponding to the disk portion 12 of the dial shown in Figure 1 and having a cylindrical periphery 12" on which the dial graduations are formed. The dial 11 also has the usual integral knurled knob portion 13 and is designed to be associated with a dial ring 16' having an outwardly projecting interrupted annular flange which shields the dial graduations from observation except over a relieved or sight opening region extending a limited are at the index mark. The spindle 14' of this modification is a tubular spindle having a bore 14" extending therethrough, for accommodating the slide control spindle which projects forwardly through the knob portion 13' lot the dial 11' and has fixed to the forward end thereof a control knob which turns within a recessed wheel 13" in the forward surface of the knob 13'. The driving cam of the type disclosed in the said Miller patent is threaded and keyed to the spindle 14 in the same manner as was described in connection with the first em- The spindle 14' is force-fitted to a coupling bushing 28 identical to that describedin connection with Figures 1-4 which in turn is removably seated in the seat portion 36'of a bore 34 in the dial 11'. The coupling bushing 28 is remov-ably held in the bore 34 by a threaded retaining collar or hub 39' which is similar in construction to the retaining hub 39 described in connection with Figures l-4 but is of greater thickness because of the substantial depth of the enlarged cylindrical portion 12 of the dial 11'. The embodiment shown in Figure 5 is otherwise of the same construction as that disclosed in Figures 1-4 and is operable in the same manner to reset the splining of the spindle 14.

It will be apparent that it is notnecessary to provide an uninterrupted series of teeth 31 along the periphery of the coupling bushing 28 to cooperate with the grooves 37 in the seat portion 36 of the bore 34 and hold the spindle 14 against angular displacement relative to the dial 11, as spaced groups of several similar teeth each may be provided at spaced points along the periphery of the bushing without adversely affecting the operation and coaction of the elements making up the dial and spindle assembly.

The above-described construction also reduces the inventory problems of locksmiths in regard to providing replacement dial and spindle units for combination locks produced by the various lock manufacturers. By stocking a plurality of the coupling bushings 28 bored to receive spindles of A inch diameter, A inch diameter and /8 inch diameter, and stocking spindles of these various sizes, the locksmith is prepared to readily provide dial and spindle assemblies wherein the spindle will be of the proper diameter for use in any combination locks of the different commercial varieties.

While two specific embodiments of the invention have been particularly shown and described, it is apparent that other modifications may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and it is desired, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereon as are set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A dial assembly for combination locks of the type having a spindle for operating the lock mechanism thereof, said dial assembly comprising an annular coupling bushing adapted to be fixed on an end of the spindle, said bushing having an annular neck portion adapted to surround the adjacent end of the spindle and an annular flange portion of greater diameter than said neck portion disposed forwardly of the neck portion, said flange portion having a generally cylindrical periphery provided with a series of V-cut teeth lying parallel to the axis of the bushing, a dial member having a front face and a rear face, said dial member having a rearwardly opening bore extending partially therethrough from the rear face thereof for accommodating axial insertion and withdrawal of said bushing, said bore having a stepped side wall defining an enlarged diameter entrance portion immediately adjacent the rear face of said dial member and having an internally threaded cylindrical wall concentric with the axis of the dial and a constricted diameter seating cavity portion spaced axially inwardly of the entrance portion of a cross-section corresponding to the cross section of said flange portion, said seating cavity portion including an end wall at the forwardmost end of said bore and a cylindrical wall concentric with the axis of the dial formed with a plurality of V-cut grooves adapted to interfit with said V-cut teeth upon axial insertion of the bushing therein and hold said bushing against rotation relative to said dial member and in axial alignment therewith at any of a plurality of different angular positions, and an externally threaded annular retaining collar to be slidably fitted on said neck portion of said bushing in coaxial relation therewith and threaded into said entrance portion of said bore for removably retaining said bushing in said seating cavity portion between said retaining collar and the end wall of said seating cavity.

2. In a dial assembly for combination locks, the combination recited in claim 1 wherein said bushing has a rearwardly facing transverse annular surface connecting said neck portion and the periphery of said flange portion, said steppedside wall including a 'rearwardly facing transverse annular transition surface connecting the cylindrical walls of said entrance and seating cavity portions, one of said last-mentioned transverse annular surfaces having dial graduation markings and-numerals thereon and the other having an index mark thereon, and said assembly including set screw means extending through said retaining collar to bear upon said transverse annular surface of said annular flange portion of said bushing and frictionally lock said collar and bushing against relative rotation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 115,445 Damon May 30, 1871 783,210 Lewis Feb.. 21, 1905 922,065 Townsend May 18, 1909 1,673,510 Hill June 12, 1928 2,068,693 Newell et al Ian. 26, 1937 2,775,113 "Behrens Dec. 25, 1956 2,858,692 Deaton et a1 Nov. 4, 1958 

